Child&#39;s folding seat



Feb; 1, 1944. F. o. AYLOR 2,340,790

' CHILDS FOLDING SEAT Filed June 19. 1942 2 Sheets-*Sheet 1 44 3 73 31 z um! l/ j i umulmu ml] Ja] gli mlnrmnmiigiiif- -24 l l l 4f 4,1 l

l l l Gttomegs.

Feb. 1, 1944.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June19, 1942 Snventor Gttomm, A

Patented Feb. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 2,340,790 cmrins FOLDING SEAT' Frank o.Ay1or, Miami, F1a. Application June 19,1942, serial No. 447,703 11 claims. 4(C1. 155-74) The present invention relates to childs folding seat and consitutes certain improvements over my prior similarly-entitled invention as illustrated, described and claimed in application filed February 11, 1942, Serial No. 430,469.

In common with the objects as stated in that application this invention aims to provide a collapsible or folding chair useful in the home or abroad in lieu of a high chair and foldable into small compass for ease in transportation.

The principal object of the present invention is to dispense with the use of metal as far as practicable, more particularly in the hinges, and to'cause wood or some other material to serve the same purpose without complicating the structure, burdening it with increased weight or revising its simple mode of operation.

Other objects are to includea foldable tray andy rockers, either of which are optional [equipment and may be applied or removed'q'uickly and easily.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended thereto.

lin-the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan View of an improved childs folding seat constructed in accordance with the present invention with the rockers applied and the trayjthrown back.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same with parts broken away and parts shown in section.

Figure 3 is a central vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 with the tray swung over to operative position andpropped.

Figures 4 and`5 arefragmentary perspective views showing subsequent phases in the folding movements of the parts, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view with the rockers removed and the seat and tray folded.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I0 designates the base,` I I the side flanges, I 2 the front ange and I3 the rear flange. These parts, as well as those hereinafter described, may be of wood, metal, plastic or other suitable material. The flanges are all a part of the base I or attached thereto by adhesive, nails, screws or other appropriate fasteners, the flanges upstanding from the base and the rear flange being higher, at least at its ends, than the rear portions of the side anges II. The front fiange I2 may be longer than the rear iiange I3 to front the for ward ends of the side flanges II; whereas the shorter rear ange I3 fits between the rear end portions of the side flanges II. .i

The back I4 has depending side flanges I5 and a front'ange I5 but no rearA fiange, the latterl being unnecessary and replaced by the upper portion of the high rear flange I3 of the lowerv section. The front flange I6 extends all the way across the 'back member I4 and in front of the endsv of the side flanges I5 to which it is nailed or otherwise secured. The flanges I5 and I6 are a part of, or secured to, the back I4. At their rear ends the side flanges I5 overlap the ends of the rear high iiangel I3 in the plane above the side flanges II of the lower case section and are pivoted thereto by the metal, wood or other pivot pins I1. i

' The back and base members I4 and' liwithv their respective flanges constitute lupper and lower encasing sections adaptedl to fold or swing relatively about the fulcrum I1 to open position, as shoWninFigures 1 to 5, or to the closed or collapsed condition illustrated'in" Figure 6, the flanges affording an interior space in the latter condition forthe reception of the folding sectional seat, and connected arms and legs.

The legsy I-8 and arms I3 are pivoted togetherr in pairs vat opposite sides vof the seat, the legs being pivoted attheir lower ends to theI side flanges at 20, and the' arms beingpivoted at 2| to the side flanges' I5. The near ends of the' arms and legs are pivotedtogether at 22,' the pivots 22 passing through the` bifurcated discs 23 of the arms I9 and the reduced 'intermediate disc 24 of the leg. Rounded shoulders 25 vare the result of reducing the thickness of the legs I8 at the discs 24 and 0n `these rounded shoulders are rotatably supported the curvilinear edges of the forkeddiscs 123 of the'armal The center of` curvature of both shoulders 25 and discs 23 is the pivot 22. The shoulders 25 thus tend to support the discs 23 against canting movement that would loosen'the pivot. f

Pivots 26 connect'the upper portions of the. legs I8 With the front large section 21 of the seat,l which is completed by the shor't rear seat section 28. A' seat beam 29 is nailed or otherwise affixed beneath the front seat section 21 at its rear portion and preferably spaced slightly for-- ward of thelrear edge of the seat member 21. A back beam 30 is nailed or otherwise aiiixed to the back I4 at seat elevation. Pivots 3I connect the side hinge bars 33 with the ends of seat beam 29, while other pivots 32 connect the bars 33 with the ends of the back beam 30. The side hinge bars 3.3.are nailed or otherwise secured at their central portions to the ends of the rear seat section 28 and project both forwardly and rearwardly of the rear seat section 28 to receive the pivots 3| and 32. The rear' corner portions of the front seat section 21 are cut away at 34 to receive the forwardly-projecting ends of the hinge bars 33, which are desirably enlarged downwardly as at 35 in Figure 2 to encompass the ends of the seat beam 28 which is virtually a part of the seat. The pivots 3I penetrate the beam 29, the seat member 21 or both. Whenthe seat is in the operative position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the upper surfaces of the side hinge bars 33 are flush with the seat surface and form a part thereof as the rear seat member 28 is narrower, to accommodate the side hinge bars 33,-`

than the front seat member 21. The beam 30 is of the same length approximatelyas theA width of the rear seat member 28, and all portions of the seat and its connected parts lie within the' of the back beam 38 and lie against the back wall n Rockers 3S'are connected by cross rails 31 and 38 and the rockers have affixed thereto longitudinal supporting bars 39 on which rests the base I0. The rear cross rail 31 carries pins 4l) projecting forwardly to be received into holes 4I in the rear high flange I3 of the lower case section. A pivoted keeper 42 on the front rail 38 of the rocker structure is rotatable to a position interlockingly over the fiange I2 of the lower case section.

Pivoted at 43 to the ends of the 'flange I6 are the side bars-44 carrying the tray bottom 45, the side bars being connected at their outer ends by the stile bar 46, bars 44 and 46 forming a raised rail for the tray bottom. In such bottom is an opening 4.1 to removably receive 'the reduced upper end "I8Y of a prop 5I having the shoulder 56 to support the tray. The4 lower end of prop 5Il rests freely on the base I where it is confined. by a metal or other strap 52lvertically through which the prop is insertible and removable.

A pivoted hook 53 on` flange I6 detachably engages the headed stud. 54 on the ange I2 to hold the case members in the closed 'position of Figure 6. i

In operation, the case members are simply opened on the pivots I1 to cause automatic setting up of the seatfor occupancy. lrIn the fully open position the arms I9 strike the shoulders 25 and coact as stops. Also. the squared shoulders 55 of the side hinge bars 33 encounter the cut-out portions of the front seat section 21 and 'serve as stops and 'to avoid the downward collapse of the seat. The various pivots 3|, 32, 26 and 22 form a toggle lock in the set-up position shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and'this further tends to avoid collapse. To initiate folding the seat is -pushed up from beneath at a middle point to break the toggle lock. In folding, the seat moves from the position of Figure 4 to that of Figure 5. The upward breaking of the seat creates a pull onthe legs I8 and consequently on the connected arms requiring that the back member 'hinge further back before it can come down into the position of Figure 6. The pivots 22 must cross the dead center line and move into the crotch at the hinged ends I1 of the case sections and they are pulled into this position by the continued upward folding of the seat. The seat members in folded position lie parallel with base and back and with each other and the arms I9 lie in contact above and in parallelism with the legs I8, to which end the discs 23 and 24 are offset eccentrically outward and upward of the center lines of the legs and arms. l

Figure 6 shows also how the tray bottom in the inverted folded position lies flat against the top of the back I4 with its bars 44 lying outwardly of the side flanges I5 and the stile bar 46 concealing the open? joint between the back I4 and the top vedge ofthe high flange I3.

To open the two case members are unlatched at 53` in .Figure 6 and swung out on the pivots I1 to a. position where the back passes the right angular position then the connected arms and legs are pulled forward and upward to. the position of Figure. 5 and finally the. seat as in. Figure 4 is pushed downwardly.

The tray can then be thrown over the back ony pivots 43 andthe prop 5I inserted inplace asin Figure 3 tosupport such tray.

Whenever the device is to be removed from the rockers 36, the keeper 42 is rotated to release position, the front end of the device raisedI to escape the bar 38 and the device pulled forwards to withdraw the flange I3 from the pins 40.

It is obvious that various changes and modiiications may be made in the details of construe.- tion and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims. y

What is claimed 1s:

l. Al Child-s folding chair comprising pivoted case members forming a base and back, a4 seat, and arms and legs pivoted respectively tothe back and base and to each other, said seat comprising relatively foldable sections, andA hinge means fastened to one seat section and pivoted to the back and to the companion seat section.

2. A chair according to claim 1 in which a back beam is affixed to the back and directly receives the pivots by which the hinge means is coupled to the back member, therelation of hinge means length to said pivots being suchY as to produce the necessary clearance between said beam and seat section to allow relative pivotal movement.

3. A chair according to claim 1 characterized by the hinge means formed partially by a pairof bars at the sides of the ione seat section kcon-1 structed and arranged to vlie flush with the upper surface of the seat whenin set-up position.

4*. A chair according to claim 1 wherein the hinge means comprises sid bars pivoted in cut-l away portions 0f the companion seat section.

5. A chair according` to claiml 1 wherein the hinge means is .in part in the ,form of side .bars having downwardly-.offset forward portions which receive the pivots for connection to the companion seat section.

6. A chair according t0 Gleim 1 wherein the hinge means is constituted by side bars the forward ends of which are squared and received in cut-outs of the companion seat section with which such ends act as stops, Said ends have down` wardly-oifset portions receiving the pivots by which thetcompanion seat section is connected to the side bars.

'7. A childs folding chair comprising base and back members pivoted together at end portions thereof, mutually pivoted leg and arm couples pivoted to opposite end portions of the members, a back beam aixed to the back at an intermediate position, side hinge bars pivoted at their rear ends to opposite ends of said back beam, a rear narrow seat section aflixed between the inter-l mediate portions of said bars forwardly of the back beam and with clearance therebetween, a wider front seat section having rear corner cutouts to receive the forward ends of the hinge bars, said forward ends having stop shoulders and dropped portions below and offset rearwardly of the shoulders, a seat beam aiiixed beneath the forward seat section near but spaced forwardly from its rear edge, pivots connecting said dropped portions with the seat beam, and further pivots connecting the forward part of the front seat section with the legs below the mutual pivotal points,

8. A childs folding chair comprising base and back members, anges on the sides and front of the two members extending towards one another, a rear ange ony the base member extending higher than the other base member flanges, the side flanges on the back member overlapping and pivoted to the upper portion of said rear flange, and a seat carried by said members.

9. A childs chair comprising foldably connected base and back members, a folding seat carried thereby, and arm and leg units mutually pivoted to one another, to the members and to said seat, said arm and leg units having at their proximal ends intermeshing discs receiving the mutual pivot, one of the discs having a circular edge struck from the mutual pivot as a center, and another disc having an arcuate shoulder to receive the edge of the disc.

10. In a childs chair, foldably connected base and back members, a foldable seat carried thereby, a tray, side bars carrying said tray, said side bars pivoted exteriorly of the back member and foldable at the sides thereof, and a cross stile bar connected to the tray constructed and arranged to conceal the joint between the rear portions of the members when folded.

11. In a childs chair, foldably connected base and back mem-bers, a foldable seat carried thereby, a tray pivotally carried by the back member and swingable thereover, a removable prop erected on the base member to support the tray, a strap on the base member to freely receive the lower end of the prop, said prop having a shoulder and reduced upper end to receive the tray.

FRAN K O. AYLOR. 

